Annual Report 2004 - 2005 The Ontario Trillium Foundation Building healthy and vibrant communities 45 Charles Street East, Fifth Floor Toronto, Ontario M4Y 1S2 Telephone: 416.963.4927 Toll-free: 1.800.263.2887 Fax: 416.963.8781 TTY: 416.963.7905 The Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, receives annually $100 million of government funding generated through Ontario's charity casino initiative June 30, 2005 The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur 6th Floor, Whitney Block 99 Wellesley Street West Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1W3 Dear Minister: On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, I am pleased to submit a copy of our Annual Report for the fiscal year 2004-2005. In this report, you will find a brief narrative that details the goals achieved and the challenges met by our volunteers and staff. Also included is a list of grants made under our various programs as well as our audited financial statements. Through the allocation of $100 million from the government’s charity casino initiative, the Foundation acts as a catalyst that enables Ontarians to work together to enhance the quality of lives in their communities. We believe that communities across Ontario are rich in talent, creativity and drive and our grants stimulate communities to build on these assets. The Foundation’s volunteer Board of Directors and Grant Review Teams, supported by an able professional staff, continue to provide outstanding leadership. All of us share a collective pride in the Foundation’s continuing accomplishments, as described in this report. We value the effective working relationship the Ontario Trillium Foundation has with your ministry and we look forward to continuing to work together to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario. Sincerely, Helen Burstyn Chair of the Board 45 Charles Street East, Fifth Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 1S2 Canada Telephone: 416.963.4927 Fax: 416.963.8781 TTY: 416.963.7905 Toll-free: 1.800.263.2887 Table of contents Message from the Chair, Helen Burstyn 4 Message from the Chief Executive Officer, L. Robin Cardozo 6 ACCOUNTABILITY, IMPACT AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS Review of 2004-2005 achievements 8 Granting activities 2004-2005 10 Vision, mission and values 11 Our granting priorities 13 BUILDING HEALTHY AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES A sampling of 2004-2005 grants 15 Grants summary 19 Community grants 20 Algoma, Cochrane, Manitoulin, Sudbury 20 Champlain 22 Durham, Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge 26 Essex, Kent, Lambton 29 Grand River 32 Grey, Bruce, Huron, Perth 34 Halton-Peel 36 Hamilton 39 Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Timiskaming 41 Niagara 43 Northwestern 45 Quinte, Kingston, Rideau 46 Simcoe-York 49 Thames Valley 52 Toronto 55 Waterloo, Wellington, Dufferin 59 Province-Wide grants 62 PARTNERS IN SERVING ONTARIO Board of Directors 65 Grant Review Team members 66 Staff 75 FINANCIAL REPORT Report on financial performance 78 Auditor’s report 79 Statement of financial position 80 Statement of operations 81 Statement of changes in net assets 82 Statement of cash flows 83 Notes to financial statements 84 Message from the Chair Helen Burstyn It is my great pleasure to be the new Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). When I was appointed the Chair of the Board of Directors at OTF, I was excited to join such an important and well-respected organization. The more I learned about the Foundation’s work and spoke to organizations who have benefited from our grants, the more my excitement and respect grew for the volunteers, staff and work of this vital organization. Take a look at OTF’s granting activities and you will be impressed too. In 2004-2005, the Foundation invested $94,346,800 in 1,422 grants to charitable and not-for-profit organizations that showcase the diversity of interests, people and communities in Ontario. We have: Invigorated the arts and culture sector with nearly $22 million in funding Contributed over $9 million to the not-for-profit environment sector Dedicated over $40 million to grants in the human and social services sector Supported the sports and recreation sector with nearly $23 million in grants I am inspired by the people who work tirelessly to make a positive difference in their communities. Together, our Board of Directors, the hundreds of our Grant Review Team volunteers and the hundreds of thousands of community volunteers all work to make meaningful contributions to our communities. The lives of millions of Ontarians are touched and improved by the work of OTF’s thousands of grantee organizations across the province. As a leader in the not-for-profit sector, the Foundation anticipates and responds to the evolving needs of Ontarians. This is reflected in our new OTF granting priorities, which will guide our funding decisions over the next three years: Enhanced success for students and learners Healthier and more physically active Ontarians Enhanced employment and economic potential for workers and their families More effective volunteers and more people engaged in their communities We will focus on supporting organizations that work in these areas to help people, organizations and communities throughout Ontario to thrive. As an organization committed to continuous improvement, our Board of Directors is interested in learning what we are doing well and what we can do even better. Our Community Conversations in the summer of 2005 will take place in different parts of the province and on- line. This exchange of ideas and experiences with community members will help us at the Foundation plan future directions and better meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve. Ontario Trillium Foundation 4 Annual Report 2004 – 2005 I am proud to acknowledge those who have contributed to our collective accomplishments. We are grateful to our funder, the Government of Ontario, for the continued financial commitment and to the Minister of Culture, the Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, for being such a strong and effective champion of the Foundation. Great grants are made with the support of a great team. The Foundation is fortunate to benefit from the commitment of our more than 350 unpaid volunteers, who include our Board of Directors and volunteers on our 16 Grant Review Teams. They are knowledgeable, dedicated members of their local communities. This year we said goodbye and thank you to those volunteers who concluded their terms with the Foundation and welcomed new members to the OTF family. Across the province, passionate and engaged staff members support our local volunteers. Led by Chief Executive Officer L. Robin Cardozo, the Foundation’s staff members enthusiastically enable and promote our work, as well as the work of our grantees. I joined a vigorous and robust organization that is making a tangible difference locally and provincially. Building healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario is more than a mission statement. It’s the essence of what we do every day at OTF and what our grantees contribute every day to their communities throughout the province. I look forward to working together over the coming years. Helen Burstyn Chair of the Board Ontario Trillium Foundation 5 Annual Report 2004 – 2005 Message from the Chief Executive Officer L. Robin Cardozo ROI. Return on investment is something we’re conscious of here at the Ontario Trillium Foundation. OTF has been entrusted by the Government of Ontario to perform an important task and as we review our activities for 2004-2005, I believe that we can be proud of the achievements of the Foundation and our grantee organizations. In addition to evaluating our results in dollars and cents, we measure our success by the impact of our grants on organizations, individuals and communities across Ontario. During the year, more than 175,000 volunteers contributed 5.6 million hours to initiatives supported by OTF. In addition, the Foundation supported community events and celebrations that were attended by more than 4.9 million people. Demand for OTF grants remains high. For every dollar we have available to grant, we receive more than $3.00 in requests. For every dollar granted, grantee organizations leverage more than $1.60 in additional financial and in-kind resources. In 2004-2005, the Foundation drew on its reserve fund in order to maintain its annual grant- making operation at the level of $100 million. As a result, Ontarians received the benefit of our careful management of resources over the years. Building the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives is at the heart of our mission. During the year, we undertook a research project to further understand the impact of the Foundation’s grants that were made to strengthen community organizations. We will share the research on capacity building with our stakeholders at several community consultations in the summer of 2005. These Community Conversations will also provide an opportunity to ensure that the Foundation remains responsive to evolving community needs. OTF continues to seek ways to enhance our impact in Ontario’s communities. This year we introduced ongoing grant eligibility for small libraries, following the success of a one-time strategic granting initiative in 2003-2004. Small municipalities with populations of 20,000 or less are now eligible to apply for library grants that will create new opportunities for library users, enhance literacy and respond to local needs. In November 2004, after careful deliberation and consultation, we announced new granting priorities. The new priorities result from analysis of OTF grants made over the last six years, the needs identified in our funding sectors and the priorities of the Government of Ontario. The new priorities present exciting opportunities as OTF continues to emphasize organizational capacity building in the voluntary sector. Ontario Trillium Foundation 6 Annual Report 2004 – 2005 Foundation staff and volunteers played an active leadership role in the 2004 Annual Council on Foundations conference, which took place in Toronto.